35+ TTC#1 Thread 6

[BambiOnIce80]

Spring is in the air and it's time for a new thread!

Basically: a wonderful bunch of ladies supporting each other through the TTC journey when trying for a first baby after 35.

Here's hoping we get some spring BFP luck for all of us!! 🍀🐣🍀🐣

@VenusStarr Thanks for asking about me. I’ve had a tough few days actually. It was my first month TTC since losing my daughter but due to various symptoms and what I thought was IB now seems like early AF I have just felt crap. Painful period which made me feel unwell, feeling sorry for myself as I’m on mat leave without a baby and wishing I was pregnant again... It’s a 3 months in Monday for my baby girl. Sorry you are finding things difficult too. 6 weeks is no time at all. Well done for going to yoga.

Hope everyone else is ok x

I'm sorry to hear that @AliceRR 💜 it's a very cruel time and to have those milestones then a horrible period on top just feels especially difficult. I'm trying not to beat myself up about wanting to be pregnant again but I need to find a way to not think about it all the time. I tried some mindful breathing at the wellbeing session earlier in the week which helped and doing the pilates today took my mind off things for a short while. Are you getting any support? Sending love xx

@VenusStarr It’s natural to want it and it’s hard not to think about it. I’m actually thinking about going back to work in a month or two so as to have something else to focus on other than being at home, making dinner and TTC! Mindful breathing sounds good. I plan to start going to yoga or pilates again and also maybe trying some mindfulness or something. I do have support but I’m not one to talk openly to many people so I’m finding I’m cutting myself off a bit which is not ideal x

Hi Ladies, hope you’re all o.k. Sorry you’re feeling horrible @VenusStarr and @AliceRR Sending love and hugs to you both

Thanks for the advice about DHEA @BambiOnIce and @Laney79 Really glad I asked as I think I have some hormonal imbalances too and the article suggests that it’s very individual as to whether to take it or not. Sounds like something a consultant should recommend anyway so I will hold off and just take ubiquinol. How much do you take out of interest? I’ve been taking 100mg, but ‘It starts with the egg’ recommends a higher dose if you’ve been trying for longer. One woman I read about was taking 400mg daily which sounds like a lot to me - it resulted in a healthy pregnancy though. Sorry if this has already been covered - the thread moves too fast for me to take everything in.

I’m feeling a bit nervous (and excited) as my HSG is booked in for next week. Yikes! X

While we are on the subject of taking extra vitamins etc. Are there any recommendations or negative comments about any in particular?

I was looking at the pregnacare ones?
I currently only take folic acid and vitamin c and zinc (just because I read it could get my cycles back in track). And advice would be helpful. X

Hi @Carley32 pregnancare messed up my cycles and gave me spotting before my period so I stopped it. I'm on COq10 300 atm and just spent a small fortune on DHEA when @BambiOnIce80 sent over the link. I'm now scared to take it. I also stocked up on melatonin from the US but haven't taken any either.

@VenusStarr the open day at the ivf clinic was ok ish. There was little I didn't know and we had to wait nearly 3 hours for a 15 min free consultation but was good to get DH involved. We decided to book an appointment soon as they are specialised in women with low AMH so I seem to fit in well. In the meantime I'm still ttc. So good to have my period back on track 😊

@Carley32 if it helps my consultant told me to take the recommended daily allowance of:
Vitamin C
Zinc
Selenium
B complex
Plus for me high dose folic acid (5mg) as I was put on that after my last loss And 50ug of vitamin D as my levels aren't optimal...but for anyone else it would be the RDA of those too.

He's also given advice and recommended supplements for OH-want that too? Xxx

Thanks ladies.

This is what I’ve been concerned about @QuantumGirl.... taking something and it having an affect on my cycle (which already has a mind of its own) so to add to that would be no good.

Thank you @Laney79 I take folic acid and then vit c & zinc in one vitamin. I buy the boots brand. Was also wondering on omega 3? As I don’t eat a lot of fish?
DP is currently taking wellman. Any advice I can get would be appreciated x

That's great news that you're counselling appointment has come through @VenusStarr - sounds like very good timing too 👍 I think the most CM I've had was with the soy isoflavones, but I was taking the CoQ10 at the same time, so who knows?! 🤷‍♀️ Glad your investigation appointments are lining up nicely too (although 🤞🏻 you won't need them). I've had them all done and I honestly didn't find them any worse than a routine smear test (I appreciate that's not everyone's experience of them though 😔).x

I'm usually very open (and probably a little over-sharey 🙄) IRL @AliceRR , but I find TTC the one area that's off limits for me - it is very alienating 😔 But that is exactly why we have each other on here - to support each other and not find what we're going through so lonely. We're always here when you need us, so don't be a stranger ❤️

I'm taking 200mg of CoQ10 @PixieN since my acupuncturist recommended I up it (due to age and unexplained infertility). She went through that egg book and did a one page synopsis of it that she hands out to her clients (this may also feed into your question @Carley32). She basically recommends that all the vits we take be 'food state'/bioavailable (easy to absorb, basically). She recommended taking a general 'conception' vit and then supplementing that with extras that are good for egg quality. I take the pregnacare conception vit (it hasn't affected my cycle length at all, but like @QuantumGirl says some people finds it does). In addition to that I'm taking 200mg CoQ10, vitamin D and omega 3 (purely based on the recommendation of the sheet the acupuncturist gave me). Hope this helps.x

If it's any help @QuantumGirl the same info sheet clarifies that it thinks it is appropriate to take DHEA if you have low AMH, so I don't think you have wasted your money! Might be worth putting it past your IVF doc as well though? Have you made an appointment with them after your open day experience or are you still looking at clinics? Sounds like things are moving along nicely at your end 😊

How did you get on with sourcing the progesterone @Laney79? Hope you are well.x

Phew 😅 thanks for the info @BambiOnIce80. I'll ask the doc when I go for my consultation in June

@Carley32 I've attached a pic of the sperm advice our consultant gave us...

@BambiOnIce80 looks like I have managed to sort the progesterone...find out tomorrow, fingers crossed! X

In terms of vitamins, first time I fell pregnant I was just on standard 400 folic acid and 10mg vit d....second pregnancy pregnacare pre conception and this time it's the vitamins as mentioned below! I did start coq10 too after my second loss, just 100 a day though x

Let's try that again with the pic!

Thanks @BambiOnIce80 I was definitely up for trying the pregnacare but the mixed reviews scared me. I’ll see how this cycle gets on and if it’s still crazy I may well give them a whirl. I don’t feel like I’m doing enough.

Thanks for that @Laney79 that’s really helpful, so that’s for just DP or both?

CD13 here. No clue what’s going on really. I had 1 darker than usual line on CD10 but just back to the very faint since. I’ve had a few twinges on my left side this time but no idea if that’s anything to get excited about. No ewcm either. 🤞🤞🤞 something will start happening soon.

@Laney79 I just realised what a stupid question I asked. I obviously know The recommendations were for DP. But wondered if you had any personally?

@Carley32 we're cycle buddies, I'm cd14. I have had ewcm since cd5 😔 no idea if I ovulated yet. I usually do on cd12 but wondering if my cycle is out.

Thanks the the info @Laney79, dh is a tea feind but generally OK on everything else. How you getting on?

Glad your period is back on track @QuantumGirl, good to hear the clinic specialises in amh but not good about the long wait you had!

Hope you're well @BambiOnIce80

How are you @AliceRR?

Good luck for the hsg @PixieN, that's the one I'm not looking forward to. Hope it goes well.

Hope everyone else is doing well xx

Really interesting to hear about all the different vitamins. I have so much to learn. AF arrived so I am now on CD3. If anyone at a similar point to hold my hand through first ever month ttc and tww?

I just wrote a reply to all of you and lost it 😩 so this is slightly condensed version!

@Bambi I’m the same re TTC bit I think many people are. It’s not something people discuss in my family and friends groups

@VenusStarr @PixiN

Thanks for those asking about me. I feel a lot better today. Had a nice dinner and cocktail out with a friend tonight and I’ve ordered CB digital connect (decent price on amazon) so that might help me pinpoint ovulation

I take pregnacare. I too. The pregnancy version while pregnant then carried on after until they finished and then just bought the conception version. Didn’t realise it can affect cycle length. I had a much shorter cycle last cycle but it’s only three months since I gave birth so that could be the reason so will keep an eye

I am CD 5 of my second cycle TTC @Pastnowfuture

Hi all! Floating past again, sorry I've not kept up to speed these past few weeks.
@bambionice80 good luck with your 2 lotto tickets this month!
@VenusStarr good news on the counselling appointment.
@QuantumGirl interested to hear how you get on at further fertility appointments .
I'm back after a particularly unpleasant AF, 2 days I'd painful but light AF, a day of spotting/nothing where I thought I'd finished followed by day 5 which was flood/agony. Oh joy!
Asked my go about a thyroid blood test... I really felt like she either didn't believe me, or she didn't want to give me the blood test. Told me I should start running if I wanted to lose weight (currently doing 3x spin & 2 kettlebells/circuits classes per week, and have my food monitored by a PT) I appreciate running is good exercise , but I m not sure how substituting hi intensity cycling for running (which I really don't enjoy) is gonna make a difference.
She also said "ooh you don't look like [your weight]" & "you carry it well" to which I couldn't help but feeling that wasn't helpful , especially when I mentioned I needed to get my weight down if I was ever to get referred for ivf. And that "not looking overweight" didn't really wash with the ACU criteria.

Hi cycle buddy @VenusStarr. Iv been reading about it because of my lack of, and it says that’s it’s perfectly healthy to have ewcm for up to 5 days before. So maybe you’re not that off? Are you using any opks?

Sorry about the unpleasant go visit @QuantumGirl. It sounds like you are trying so hard too. You have more will power than me. I’m managing spin x1 week lol, I really want to up it though. It’s just such a busy term in work I know it will stress me out even more trying to find the time.

@Carley32 just the basics from the consultant for me-limit caffeine, stay off the booze, eat healthily, try and keep stress levels down, and keep taking the vitamins I'd listed. So no specific lifestyle advice. I think they do give it to the fellas as they know changes can improve sperm function within three months...sadly our eggies not so much!

I'm doing ok, freaking a bit as I am getting the aches/pulling sensations but they seem to me to be more on one side so of course I'm now convinced that this one is ectopic! Trying not to wind myself up but it's very hard. I'm somewhere around 4 and a half to 5 weeks (LMP says 4+5 but ovulation date puts me at 5+4) and the babies so far stopped growing around the 5/6 week mark before so anxiety is rife.

I'm trying to decide about an early scan. My epau will give me the progesterone to take on holiday, just in case I need it, but I have to have a viability scan before I go. So do I leave it as late as poss to be sure of getting a definite answer (so if I left it I'd be about 8 weeks, so if no heartbeat it would be another mc) or go a bit earlier, then if there's a heartbeat great, but if not it may still be too early? I really want this holiday but if I find out I've lost again I don't think I'd want to go. Really tough decision. Was going to wait and have a scan when we got back at 9 and a half weeks-but if I want the progesterone I have to have one before we go. What would you do ladies? X

@CNizzle sorry about your GP, they really don't get it sometimes do they. I'm really lucky mine has been amazing generally-mostly it's just constraints of the nhs that cause issues, but she really wants to help. If you want to get a thyroid test and are happy to pay I've had several done via medichecks...including the thyroid one. Mostly just finger prick tests you can do at home. Thyroid ones I think are £40-80 depending on which ones you go for...and it's worth checking for voucher codes as sometimes you can get 10-20% off.

@AliceRR I used the CB digital connected, worked well for me. Although I did discover my first month of temping that I appear to ovulate the day of my first peak fertility, rather than the standard 36 hours later, at least that month anyway. My temp rose sharply the same morning I got the peak.

@laney79 that's interesting, I'll need to check them out

Sounds to me like you might be gearing up for ovulation with the left-sided twinges @Carley32 - 🤞🏻 for a BFP OPK soon 🍀

Good luck with your appointment today @VenusStarr (I hope I've not got the dates muddled up! Apologies, if so).x

Excellent news that your cycles are kicking in @Pastnowfuture 😊 I'm CD20, but always available for a hand hold or any advice if you need it - just shout.x

So glad to hear your feeling a bit better @AliceRR ❤️

Helllloooo @CNizzle! 😃 Sorry to hear your GP sounds like a total tit 😕 Totally missed the point with what you were asking, wasn't she?! I know they're not all boned-up on IVF criteria, but come on! 😩 Can you either make an appointment with a different GP/nurse or speak to the practice manager? It's great you're being mega dedicated to the exercise, but if there's an underlying issue that's preventing your weight from dropping off, then you really need to know, dammit! Or could you ask the ACU to order the test, seems it's in the context of TTC? Hope one of them comed to their senses soon.x

That's a tricky one @Laney79 🤔 I think my logic would be that it might ruin your holiday anyway if you start spotting whilst you're away and you don't have the progesterone with you because you didn't take the scan, so I guess I'd probably have the scan to get the progesterone. If it was bad news (which I sincerely hope and am keeping everything crossed that it won't be 🍀), then I think I'd probably still go on holiday... logic there is that if I'm going to be devastated, then I may as well be that away from everyone I know? Very, very personal choice, of course. You've got a good couple of weeks to get some clarity and decide what to do 🍀🍀🍀

Thanks @BambiOnIce79

Hope you’re ok @VenusStarr

@Laney79 That’s interesting. Maybe i whilst temp as well in that case. I bought a BBT but couldn’t get into the habit of using it last month as I’d sit up or something and then remember to take it.

Re the scan I just think it’s a really personal choice. If you think it will help them have the early scan but know it might be too early to see HB then again you’ll know whether it’s ectopic.

@CNizzle I can't believe what your GP said. What a load of BS! Running might work for some but I also don't think it is the magic cure when you are already exercising for what seems 4-5 days a week!!! I'm 😠 on your behalf.

@Laney79 I agree with @BambiOnIce80 Logic and I would do the early scan as I would feel more in control. If the news aren’t good (and it won’t happen, you have to think positive) do go on holiday to give yourself a break. I also didn’t want to go to the US few weeks ago but it was great to take my mind off things (apart from the baby bombing, mind you).

On the ovulation front, could you temping ladies let me know how many days after ewcm/ positive opk you see the drop (or rise? 🤔) in temperature? Apologies if I have asked before. Since my period seems to be back on track (CD17 here) DH is committed to giving his best shot on the natural way (I really think the ivf price was a huge motivation 😝) but I don’t know when to end the shaggathon 🤷‍♀️. If I start temping does it mean I need to take the reading every day at the same time (even at weekends? 🙊). I booked my appointment with the clinic for early June and I’m now wondering if I should give myself more time to do it naturally or just go for the IVF whilst I’m still under 40? What would you ladies do if you had low AMH? According to IVF clinics, something horrendous happens on a woman’s 40th birthday and all her eggs disappear ffs 🙄🙄🙄.

Also if I go for the 3 cycle deal they will collect my few eggs on 3 natural cycles, freeze them and then transfer them back. So there will be a 3 month wait before anything happens and this is best case scenario. Just not sure if I can still try naturally during this period but by then I would have already given them my life’s savings 💸💸💸😭😭😭